Repairs to the haunching around the chimney pots on three chimneys, and a number of slating repairs to the roof slopes, were carried out by Spider Tech Limited on Tuesday 27th November 2012.
Please note: the pictures below are thumbnails — click on any thumbnail to see the full-sized picture.
Roof Plan
This plan shows the locations where the main repairs were carried out, referred to in the text below as chimneys A, C and D, and roof area B. In addition to these, small slating repairs, not shown on the plan, were carried out at numerous scattered locations.
Overall View from SSE - Before and After Repair
Two chimney pots (second and third from the South end) had fallen; the site where they stood has been capped, but the pots themselves have not been replaced, for reasons discussed below. One chimney pot (second from North end) was badly cracked on the West side (not visible in the photographs) and has been replaced by a new pot. The haunching around the chimney pots was somewhat decayed and has been renewed.
Chimney A - Detailed View in Sections: from South to North
The leftmost picture shows the gap where the two fallen chimney pots formerly stood. The rightmost two photographs show the new chimney pot (second from right) which has been installed to replace the former cracked pot.
Internal View of Chimney A Looking Down from Top
Photos: Spider Tech Limited
These two pictures show collapsed brickwork, inside the chimney, that formerly separated the individual flues and supported the chimney pots that have fallen. Probably the failure of the brickwork brought down the chimney pots. It is believed that these two flues are now blocked and unusable.
The remaining internal brickwork of the chimney, supporting the other six chimney pots on the stack, is structurally sound and their flues may be usable.
We do not know which actual or former fireplaces, or which flats, these flues belong to. It seems probable that they are no longer in use and have not been for some time. However, their owners may well be entitled to require them to be reinstated as a common repair.
To repair this brickwork and reinstate the flues, it would be necessary to dismantle and rebuild the chimney. This is beyond the scope of the present repairs; it would be a large and expensive job. Spider Tech Limited consider it would not be within their capability and we would need to engage a specialist builder.
In order to make the chimney structurally sound and weather proof, the place where the two fallen chimney pots stood has been capped over with slates and a sand and cement covering. The chimney pots were not put back in place, because they are very heavy and there is nothing substantial there to support them.
Views from NE and ESE Before Repair
The haunching was cracked and beginning to fail.
Views from NE, ESE and SSE After Repair
The haunching has been renewed.
View from NE Before Repair
The haunching around the chimney pots was quite badly decayed and cracked; it looked about to fail.
Views from ENE, NE and SE After Repair
The haunching has been renewed.
Roof Slope B from South — Before and After Repair
The slates that were broken by the fall of the two chimney pots have been replaced.
Roof Slope B Detail
This shows the above repairs in more detail.
WNW Roof Slope from SSE
This is the roof slope on the Royal Circus side. A number of slating repairs were carried out; these can be seen as lighter patches.
Other Repairs
Slating repairs were carried out to the NNE roof slope, on the SE Circus Place side close to the North corner of the building. Due to access difficulties, pictures of these are not available.
Numerous slating repairs were also carried out to the roof slopes within the roof valleys.